Electric translation device mounting and the like



May 21, 1940 D. K. WRIGHT Er AL 2,201,874

ELECTRIC TRANSLATION DEVICE MOUNTING AND THE LIKE I y Fileduay 18, 1937 Fig. 5.

Fig. l.

Inventors: Daniel K. Wright. FvedericK H. Weston fwn/7 j by ThenA Att orney Patented May 2l, 1940 UNITEDv sTATEs ELECTRIC TRANSLATION DEVICE MOUNT- ING AND THE LIKE Daniel K. Wright, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and

Frederick H. Weston, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application May 18, i937, Serial No. 1433i@ 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to mountings for electric translation devices and the like of the type in which the co-operating plug is securely held in a socket against accidental displacement.

The object of' our invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement. in mountings of this type, and, for a consideration of what we believe to be novelv and our invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. '1 is a side elevation in section along lines I-I of Fig. 2 of la socket embodying our invention with a plug inserted in the socket; Fig. 2 is an exploded top plan view of the socket with one of the locking plates removed; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an eX-I ploded view showing one of the contacts of the socket, the terminal which is connected to the contact, the prong which engages the contact, the locking plate which holds the prong in en gagement with the contact, and a spring clip which may be snapped over the contact to pre- 'vent the decrease of contact pressure due to heating of the contacts. y

Referring to the drawing, we have illustrated a socket for use with an electric lamp having a glass envelope I provided with a plug connector which-comprises a base 2 from which extend two prong terminals 3 rigidly xed to the base by skirts 3a sealed thereto. Each of the prongs has a cylindrical contact-engaging portion i and a reduced portion 5, above a contact-engaging portion which provides a shoulder Ii. The upper ends of the prongs are connected to rigid lament supporting rods 'I which serve as lead-in Wires. 'Ihe rods l locatethe filament p-recisely with respect to the base. This type of plug connector is used for heavy current lamps and the like, so that it is important that the prongs be held in firm engagement with the contacts of the socket.

The socket comprises a base 8 of porcelain or other suitable insulating material in the upper side `of which are formed two pockets 9 and a central depression 9a for receiving the seal 9b of the lamp. In the pockets 9 are spring clip con tacts II), the open ends of which face in opposite' directions, as shown in Fig. 2. The contacts may be reinforced by spring clips 23 (see Fig. 4) which are snapped over the arms of the contacts. The spring clips prevent decrease in contact pressure due to heating of the arms of the contacts. 'I'he contacts are spot-welded to supports II which are secured to the base by screws I2 threaded into terminal plates I3 to which the line conductors are attached. Above each of the pockets 9 is a resilient metal locking plate .I4 which is secured to the base by means of a bolt I5. The locking plates are provided with openings Ia through which the contact-engaging portions il ofthe prongs may be inserted and communicating narrow arcuate slots vI6 into which the reduced portions 5 of the prongs enter when the plug is rotated relative to the socket in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. The openings Ia are in axial alignment with the enlarged portions 23a of the spring clips 23, but are smaller in size. The edges of the slots I6 engage the shoulders 6 of the prongs and prevent axial displacement of the prongs. As shown in Fig. 4, the locking plates are formed so that they are highest at their free ends adjacent the openings Ia. From the openings Ia the edges of the s-lots I t have downwardly inclined portions Il which engage the shoulders 6 on the prongs when the plug is rotated in clockwise direction after insertion in the socket and guide the reduced portions of the prongs into the narrow slots It, and at the same time urge the prongs toward the bottom of the socket. This resiliently 'forces the lower edge of the plug against shoulders 'I9 on the base and prevents This 1 any wobbling of the plug in the socket. plug has a conical seating shoulder Illa which ts in a complementary seating shoulder in the base and centers the plug in the socket. This holds the lamp filament in fixed relation to the socket. At the end of the downwardly inclined portions I'I the locking plates have upwardly inclined portions IB which engage the shoulder 6 and resist counter-clockwise rotation of the plug relative to the socket, which would tend to move the prongs of the plug out of engagement with the contacts. From one aspect, the inclined portions Il and I3 provide a projection Which locks vthe plug in the socket. vThe socket is mounted by a coupling 2@ provided with arms 2| which are secured to the base by screws 22. l

In the use of the socket, the prongs 3 of the plug are inserted through the openings I5a in the locking plates It. In this position the prongs are out of contact with the contacts I 0 of the socket. In order to bring the prongs into' enfgagement with the contacts, the plug is rotated in a clockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 2. The clockwise rotation of the plug causes the shoulders 6 on the prongs to engage the inclined portions Il' of the locking plates, causing the lower edge ol the'plug to be pulled downwardly into tight engagement with the shoulders i9 on the base. Just prior to the complete engagement of the prongs with the contacts lil, the shoulders 6 of the prongs reach the upwardly inclined portions I8 of the locking plates. Since at this time a considerable twisting force is being exerted on the plug, the prongs of the plug are quickly moved into complete engagement with the contacts I 6 due to the decreased resistance offered by the upwardly inclined 'portions iii. V/'hen the plug is to be removed from the socket, it is first turned in a counter-clockwise direction until the prongs enter the openings ld. lI'he inclined portions IB of the locking plates resist the initial part of this movement, and as soon as the shoulders 6 reach the inclined portions il, the prongs are quickly moved out of engagement with the contacts l0.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of a translation-device base having an annular seating shoulder and contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis of said shoulder, and themselves provided with securing shoulders; a socket for said base having a seating shoulder for said base shoulder; resiliently yielding engagement means in said socket for coacting with said stud shoulders, to hold said base shoulder against said socket shoulder, engageable with the said stud shoulders by relative turning of base and socket after engagement of the base and socket shoulders, said engagement means having bottom projections in position for the stud shoulders to ride under them as base and socket are turned relative to one another; and contact means in the socket engageable with said studs by the relative turning of base and socket.

2. The combination of a translation-device base having an annular seating shoulder and contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis 'of said shoulder, and themselves provided with securing shoulders; and a socket for said base having a seating shoulder for said base shoulder; resilient members with keyhole slots for receiving said studs through their large portions and engaging the stud shoulders when the base and socket are turned relative to one another after insertion of the studs in the slots as aforesaid, said members having bottom projections in position for the stud shoulders to ride under them as the studs reach the limit of movement in the slots, and contact means in position to engage said studs as their shoulders pass under said projections.

3. 'I'he combination of a translation-device base having an annular seating shoulder 'and contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis of said shoulder, and themselves provided with securing shoulders; and a. socket for said base having a seating shoulder for said base shoulder, resilient members with keyhole slots for receiving said studs through their large portions and coacting with the stud shoulders when the base and socket are turned to draw said base and socket shoulders against each other relative to one another after insertion of the studs in the slots aforesaid; and resiliently yielding contact means engageable with said studs, during the last of the turning movement, to lock base and socket against reverse turning relative to one another.

4. A socket having an annular seating shoulder for coacting with a corresponding annular body 2,2BOL874 or base shoulder, and also comprising resiliently .the stud shoulders to ride under them as base and socket are turned relative to one another, and separate resiliently yielding contact means engageable with said studs by the relative turning of base and socket.

5. A socket for an electric translation device, said socket having an annular seating shoulder for coacting with a corresponding annular base shoulder of the device, resiliently yielding engagement means for coacting with securing shoulders of contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis of the said base shoulder to draw and hold said 'oase shoulder firmly against said socket shoulder when base and socket are brought together and turned relative to one another, and separate resiliently yielding Contact means in said socket for engaging said studs and thereby locking said base and socket against reverse turning rela-tive to one another.

6. A socket for an electric translation device said socket having an annular seating shoulder for coacting with a corresponding annular base shoulder of the device, resiliently yielding engagement means with keyhole slots for receiving through their large portions shouldered contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis of the said base shoulder, and engaging the stud shoulders when the base and socket are turned relative to one another after insertion of the studs in the slots as aforesaid, said engagement means having bottom projections in position with the stud shoulders to ride under them as the studs reach the limit of movement in the slots, and contact means in position to engage said studs as their shoulders pass under said projections.

'7. .A socket having an annular seating shoulder for coacting with a corresponding annular body or base shoulder, and also comprising resiliently yielding engagement means with keyhole slots for receiving through their large( portions shouldered contact terminal studs projecting from said base in the direction of the axis of the said `base shoulder, and coacting with the stud shoulders to draw said base and socket shoulders against each other when the base and socket are turned relative to one another after insertion of the studs in the slots as aforesaid, and resiliently yielding contact means engageable with said studs, by the relative turning of base and socket, after engagement of the said engagement means with the stud shoulders, to lock base and socket against reverse turning relative to one another.

3. A socket comprising a body portion having an annular seating shoulder, a plurality of resilient members having keyhole slots therein adapted to engage with prongs on a base and pull a shoulder on said base firmly against the said seating shoulder upon rotation of the base relative to the socket, and a plurality of contact clips located in alignment with said keyhole slots and adapted to engage said prongs upon the relative rotation of base and socket. l

9. An electric socket for use with a plug having a prong provided with a contact-engaging portion and a shoulder, comprising a base into which said prong may be inserted, a contact in said base arranged to engage said `prong upon subsequent rotation of the plug relative to the base, and resilient locking means separate from said contact engaging said shoulder for holding the plug in the base; `said locking means having an inclined portion for urging the plug against the base during the rotation of the plug to the contact-engaging position.

10. An electric socket for use with a plug having a prong provided with a contact-engaging portion and a shoulder above said contactengaging portion comprising a base, a resilient metal plate secured to said base having an opening through Which said prong may be inserted and a communicating slot the edges of which engage said shoulder upon subsequent rotation of the plug relative to the plate for holding the plug in the socket, and a contact for engaging said prong upon said rotation of the plug, said plate having an inclined portion engaging said shoulder for urging the Iplug against the base during the rotation tothe contact-engaging position.

l ing through which said prong may be inserted and a communicating slot an edge of which engages said shoulder upon subsequent rotation 'of the plug relative to the plate for holding the plug in the socket, a contact for engaging said prong upon said. rotation of the plug, said plate having an inclined portion engaging said shoulder'for urging the plug against the base during the rotation to the contact-engaging position and having an oppositely inclined portion for opposing rotation of the plug away from the contact-engaging position.

DANIEL K'. WRIGHT. FREDERICK H. WESTON). 

